Creatine has become one of the most popular dietary supplements
available to athletes today. Unfortunately, research on creatine
supplementation and exercise metabolism is in its infancy, and there
is currently an enormous amount of misleading information about
creatine loading, its mechanisms of action and its side effects,
which has led to confusion in the athletic community. The present
review will go some way to redressing the imbalance. It is written by
a scientist actively involved in creatine research and describes, in
a clear and concise manner, the status of our knowledge. I recommend
you read this review before you consult the popular press.J Duncan McDougall, PhDDepartment of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton,
Ontario, Canada.
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As Dr Kreider has noted, the literature indicates that wide
inter-individual differences exist in response to creatine
supplementation. Although it is generally accepted that creatine
supplementation results in a substantial increase in free creatine in
muscle, whether or not this increase is matched by an increased
uptake of inorganic phosphate and a proportional increase in
phosphocreatine is somewhat more controversial, since some studies
have noted increased free creatine but no change in phosphocreatine.
An effect on creatine but not phosphocreatine may partially explain
why subjects appear more likely to gain an ergogenic benefit from
creatine supplementation when they perform several repeated sprints
(where recovery time is very short) than during a single maximum
effort.